Door mechanism



c. c. TOMKINSON DOOR MECHANISM April 15, 1930.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 27, 1926 NVENTOR [la/ks t. Tam/final:

*4 I 2 MW April 15,1930. c. c. TOMKINSON noon mEcHANIs'u Fil ed Dec. 27.1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 A Nm Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE CHARLES C. TOMKINSON, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BYMESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO J. EDWARD OGDEN COMPANY, OFNEW YORK, N. Y., A.CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY DOOR MECHANISM Application filed December 2'21926.

This invention relates to doors and particularly to door closure andlocking mechanism.

The invention has been particularly developed for use in connection withlarge doors of the sectional type, such as are used for closing dooropenings in pier sheds, warehouses and like structures. Such doors aresubjected to severe wind pressures and to other severe strains andstresses and must be so constructed and mounted as to withstand suchstresses. Furthermore, when a heavy wind is blowing against the doors orinto the door openings, it is difiicult to close the door against thewind pressureand to lock the door in closed position.

This invention has for its salient object to facilitate the closing ofdoors of the type specified and to lock the doors securely in closedposition against the door casing or jamb.

Another object of the invention is to provide door closure mechanism soconstructed and arranged that the door opening movement of the door willstore up energy available during the closing movement to assist inmoving the door against the door casing or jamb in position to belocked,

Another object of the invention is to provide door mechanismsoconstructed and arranged as to lengthen the periodof breakout and thusreduce the average pull required for the breakout.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingspecification taken in connection with the drawings, which form a partof this application, and in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view partlyin section showing a two section door prior to the break-out of the doorsection from the vertical position, the door being provided with closureand locking mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but'showing the door sectionspositioned in the breakout period of their movement after the spring hasbeen compressed and the lower section has reached its fully superimposedposition on the upper section;

Serial No. 157,118.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but show ing the door sections inwide open position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the closure and lockingmechanism in looking position, the lower door section being disposed inposition to release the locking mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the upper door sectionunlocked and the two door sections about to be locked by the downwardmovement of the lower section;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5, but showing the door sectionsreturning from open position to position against the door j amb orcasing;

Fig. 7 is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view parallel in section of the structure shown inFig. 7

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale showing theabutment at one end of the spring whereby the spring can be adjusted asto tension.

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 6 but showing anotherposition in the closing movement of the door.

The invention briefly described consists of door mechanism comprising aplurality of door sections mounted for vertical and lateral movement,locking mechanism for locking the door against lateral pressure andmeans in conjunction with the locking mechanism for assisting inswinging the doors toward the door header. This means is so constructedand arranged that supplemental power for actuating the means is storedup during the opening movement of the door for use during the closingmovement thereof. Furthermore, the supplemental power actuating means isso constructed and arranged that it functions during the storing up ofpower therein to lengthen the period of break-out and thus decrease theaverage pull required for the break-out. The means in the particularform of the invention shown engages the upper door section and locksthis section against the door header or casing. The locking means isreleased by one of the lower door sections when this section is raisedinto overlapping relation with reference to the upper door seclei tion.Further details of the invention will appear from the followingdescription.

In the particular form of the invention illustrated, the mechanism isshown in connection with a two section door comprising an upper sectionand a lower section 11. The door sections are mounted in an opening 12of a wall 13 and the door casing includes a header or lintel formed byan angle iron 14. The lower door section is slidable on the upper doorsection, being provided with flanges 15 embraced by flanges 16 formed onthe upper door section.

The details of construction of the door mechanism form no part of thepresent invention and for a more complete showing of the door sectionsand operating mechanism, attention is directed to Patent No. 973,691 toJ. E. Ogden, granted October 25, 1910. It will be understood withoutfurther showing or description that the door section 11 is raisedvertically to a position in which it overlies the upper section 10whereupon these sections will be swung laterally inwardly in unison onlinks 17 to an inclined or horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3. Theraising and swinging of the door is accomplished by means of liftingchains and counterbalancing mechanism in the usual manner with this typeof doors as shown in the patent referred to. In this position, the innerend of the door may be supported by shelves 18 engaged by rollers 19carried by the upper door section. It will be understood, however, thatany other desired means may be utilized for supporting and guiding thedoors, such, for instance, as tracks.

The door locking and closing mechanism comprises two devices.

One of these devices consists of a keeper or hook 20 pivoted on a fixedpivot 21 secured to the wall structure above the door opening. A stop 22limits the downward movement of the keeper. The keeper 20 has adownwardly extending ofl'set end 23 which forms the hook and a cam 24 isformed on the outer surface of this portion 23 and extends upwardly andlaterally therefrom.

The other device which cooperates with the keeper is mounted on the topor upper end 25 of the upper door section 10 and is supported inbrackets 26 and 27. This device 29 is carried by a shaft 28 mounted inthe brackets 26 and 27 and includes an unlocking member having a cut outportion 30 ada ted to extend under the upper end 25 of tiie upper doorsection as shown in Fig. 4. This member has a cam surface 31 adapted tobe engaged by a roller 32 mounted in brackets 33 secured to the upperend of the lower door section 11. The shaft 28 also has secured theretoat the end opposite from the unlocking cam 31, an arm 35 having a crosshead or T-shaped end 36 at the free end thereof. When the door is lookedas shown in Fig. 4,

the end 36 is disposed within the hook 23 of the keeper 20.

A spring 40 encircles the shaft 28 and has one end extending into anotch 41 formed in a sleeve or collar 42 keyed as shown at 43 to theshaft 28. The opposite end of this spring is secured in a notch 45formed in a sleeve or collar 46 rotatably mounted on the shaft 28. Thecollar 46 is provided with longitudinally extending, circumferentiallyarranged apertures 49 and the collar is locked in any desired positionof adjustment by means of a set screw 47 mounted in the bracket 27 andadapted to enter one of the apertures 49. Peripheral openings 50 areformed in the collar 46 to receive a spanner wrench so that the collarcan be rotated to any desired extent to place the required tension onthe spring 40. After the collar has been rotated, the set screw 47 isscrewed into one of the apertures 49, looking the collar in adjustedposition. In this way, the tension of the spring can be regulated asdesired.

The spring 40 is so arranged and connected to the shaft 28 that thepivotal movement of the unlocking member 31 in an anti-clockwisedirection or in a direction to releasethe lock from the upper doorsection will wind up or tighten the spring.

In actual practice, it is desirable to provide at least two sets oflocking and closing mechanisms, but since they would be exactly alike,only one set has been illustrated and described.

Operation The locking mechanism operates as follows. Fig. 4 illustratesthe mechanism in locked position and it will be seen that the clearanceportion 30 is disposed beneath the upper end 25 of the upper doorsection and the arm 35 which acts as a toggle arm is disposed beneaththe keeper 20, the end 36 of the arm being disposed within the hook 23of the keeper. Any wind pressure against the outside of the door will bewithstood by the locking mechanism since this will tend to force thetoggle member 35 in approximately a straight line against the hook 23.In other words, the toggle arm is substantially at dead center-and isheld in this position by the spring tension and the locking mechanismcannot be unlocked by wind pressure.

In order to open the door, the lower section 11 is first raised to theposition shown in Fig. 4 wherein the roller 32 engages the cam surface31. Further movement of the lower door section to opening position willcause the cam 31 and the shaft 28 to swing in an anti-clockwisedirection, thus raising the keeper and releasing the arm 35 from itslocked position, and thereafter swinging the sections to the positionshown in Fig. 2 as the spring is gradually compressed. The door sections10 and 11 maintain the relative positions shown in Fig. 2 throughout thefurther door opening movement as shown in Fig. 3 and, therefore, thespring is retained under tension since the cam 31 cannot swing in aclockwise direction.

The spring is preferably made strong enough so that its resistancethrough the cam 31 to the roller 32 transmits a lifting force to theupper section which will be sufficient to start the break-out movementbefore the lower section 11 is fully superimposed on the upper section10 and thereby the spring performs a useful function. This distributesthe breakout movement over a part of the travel of the lower doorsection and decreases the average pull required to break the door awayfrom the header. In other words, the pull that winds the spring istransmitted through the spring to the upper door section and has avertical component thereon which swings the combined sections away fromthe header and the inertia of the door against lateral movement isgradually overcome.

When the door is to be closed, the lateral. closing movement will causethe end 36 of the toggle arm to engage the cam 24 formed on the outersurface of the hook 23 and swing the hook and keeper in ananti-clockwise direction, permitting the toggle arm to pass beneath thehook to the position shown in ig. 6. If the lower door section maintainsthe position shown in Fig. 6, the sections will return to the closedposition shown in Fig. 5 and will be locked thereafter by the downwardmovement of the lower section without any help from the spring 40 as acloser. If a strong wind is blowing against the doors and holds themfrom closing be yond the position of Fig. 6, which corresponds to thatof Fig. 2, the operator by means of the mechanism raises thecounterweight and thus releases the tension on the lifting chainattached to the bottom of the lower section 10, and the two sections bytheir weight, now unsupported, will close suihciently for the arm 35 toengage the hook 20 and the section 11 will drop relatively to the upperscction 10, the spring released by the downward movement of roller 32out of contact with the cam 31 will rotate the shaft 28 and partscarried thereby in a clockwise direction until the end 36 of the togglearm 35 engages the hook 23 forming a toggle as shown in Fig. 1G. Theroller 32 then being out of contact cam 31, the full force of the springis exerted at the center of the toggle 23, 36 in a direction other thanthe resultant movement of the pin 28 of the toggle toward pin 21 withincreasing leverage as the door approaches the closed position until inthe fully closed position the toggle reaches the locked position asshown in Fig. 4:. It will be noted that the roller 32 can movedownwardly a predetermined dis tance prior to any material or effectivemove ment of the cam 31 thus preventing the toggle arm from raisingprematurely if there is any relative movement of the two door sec tionsbefore they reach the position in which the arm will engage the hook.This is further insured by the extended length of the cam 24- on thekeeper. If premature motion of the toggle arm occurs before the armreaches the hook the upper part of cam 24 will still be engaged by thetoggle arm.

From the foregoing description, it will be clear that the mechanismdescribed will eii'ectively look a door against the door casing and willwithstand the wind pressures and strains to which such doors aresubjected. Furthermore, it will be evident that the movement of the doorto open position will store up energy available to assist in closing thedoor against the casing or jamb.

Although one specific embodiment of the in vention has been particularlyshown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capableof modification and that changes in the construction and in thearrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in thefollowing claims.

l Vhat I claim is l. A door comprising a plura ity of sections arrangediior relative vertical movement and for movement vertically andlaterally in unison, locking means for said door comprising a devicepivoted to one of said sections and means movably mounted on a iixedsupport and adapted to coact with said device.

2. A door comprising a plurality of sections arranged for relativevertical movement and for movement vertically and laterally in unison,locking means for said door comprising a device pivoted to one of saidsections and means pivotally mounted on a fined support and adapted tocoact with said device.

Door structure comprising a door casing, a door movable vertically andlaterally away from said casing, locking means for holding the dooragainst the casing including a member pivoted on the door and a memberpivoted on the door casing and adapted to coact therewith.

a. Door structure comprising a door casing, a door movable verticallyand laterally away from said casing, locking means for holding the dooragainst the casing including a member pivoted on the top the door and amember pivoted on the door casing and adapted to coact therewith.

5. A door comprising a plurality of sections arranged for relativevertical movement and for movement vertically and laterally in unison,and means for swinging said door to closed position and for locking thedoor in closed position, said means comprising mechanism pivoted on oneof said sections, a spring connected to said mechanism and adapted to betightened during the opening movement of the door, and pivoted meansmounted on a fixed support and engageable by said mechanism as the doormoves to closed and locked position.

6. A door movable vertically and laterally to open position andidentical mechanism for assisting in moving said door to closed positionand for locking the door in closed position, and power actuating meansfor said mechanism, said power actuating means being operated upon theopening movement of the door to store up power for use in actuating saidclosure mechanism during the closing movement of the door.

7. A door movable vertically and laterally to open position andidentical mechanism for assisting in moving said door to closed positionand for locking the door in closed position, and actuating means forsaid mechanism, said spring actuating means being operated upon theopening increment of the door to store up power for use in actuatingsaid closure mechanism during the closing movement of the door.

8. A door comprising upper and lower sec tions arranged for vertical andlateral move ment to open position, and toggle means for locking theupper section against lateral movement, said means comprising a memberpivoted to the upper door section and a pivoted member mounted above theupper door section and engageable by said pivoted member.

9. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical andlateral movement to open position, and means for lockin" the uppersection against lateral movement, said means comprising a member'pivotedto the upper door section and a member movably mounted above the upperdoor section and engageable by said pivoted member.

10. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical andlateral movement to open position, and means for locking the uppersection against lateral movement, said means comprising a member pivotedto the upper door section and a member pivotally mounted on a fixedpivot above the upper door section and engageable'by said pivotedmember.

11. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical andlateral movement to open position, toggle means for locking the uppersection against lateral movement, said means comprising a member pivotedto the upper door section and a pivoted member mounted above the upperdoor section and engageable by said pivoted member, and means on a lowedoor section engageable with said pivoted member to break the toggle andrelease said locking means.

12. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical andlateral movement to open position, toggle means for locking the uppersection against lateral movement, said means comprising a member pivotedto the upper door section and a pivoted member mounted above the upperdoor section and engageable by said pivoted member, and means 011 alower door section engageable with said pivoted member to swing saidmember on its pivot and release said locking means.

13. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical andlateral movement to open position, toggle means for locking the uppersection against lateral movement, said means comprising a member pivotedto the upper door section and a pivoted member mounted above the upperdoor section and engageable by said pivoted member, means on a lowerdoor section engageable with said pivoted member to swing said member onits pivot and release said locking means, and a spring connected to saidpivoted member and operable to swing said member to locking posit-ion.

14. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically andlaterally to open position, a locking member pivoted above the dooropening, a member pivoted to the upper door section and having a portionengageable with said locking member to lock the door against lateralmovement and having a cam, and means carried by another door section forengaging said cam and releasing the locking member.

15. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically andlaterally to open position, toggle locking means for holding the door inclosed position and comprising a keeper mounted on a fixed pivot andhaving a hook at the end thereof and a member pivoted to the top of theupper door section and having an arm disposed below and within thekeeper and hook when the door is closed.

16. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically andlaterally to open position, locking means for holding the door in closedposition and comprising a keeper mounted on a fixed pivot and having ahook at the end thereof and a member pivoted to the top of the upperdoor section and having an arm disposed below and within the keeper andhook when the door is closed, said member having a cam surface and meanson another door section engageable with said cam surface to release thelocking means.

17. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically andlaterally to open position, locking means for holding the door in closedposition and comprising a keeper mounted on a fixed pivot and having ahook at the end thereof and a member pivoted to the top of the upperdoor section and having an arm disposed below and within the keeper andhook when the door is closed, and means on said keeper engageable bysaid arm Whereby the arm will lift the keeper upon the movea the top ofthe upper door section and having an arm disposed below and within thekeeper and hook when the door is closed, the pivot of the keeper andpivot of said member being so relatively located that the keeper andmember form a toggle lock.

19. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically andlaterally to open 1 position, locking means for holding the door inclosed position and including a keeper mounted on a fixed pivot andhaving a hook at the end thereof and a member pivoted to the top of theupper door section and having an arm disposed below and within thekeeper and hook when the door is closed, the pivot of said member beingdisposed approximately in a line between the keeper pivot and keeperhook.

20. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically andlaterally to open position, toggle locking means for locking the dooragainst lateral movement, a spring for actuating said locking means tolocking position and means carried by one of the door sections forbreaking the toggle and releasing the lock and compressing the spring.

21. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically andlaterally to open position, toggle locking means for locking the dooragainst lateral movement, a spring for actuating said locking means tolocking position and means carried by one of the door sections adaptedto break the toggle and release the lock and compress the spring.

22. A door comprising a pair of vertically and laterally movable doorsections, combined locking and swinging means carried by one section andadapted to be engaged by the other section whereby the upper sectionwill be unlocked and will be picked up by the lower section as the lowersection is raised,

and a compression spring connected to said means and adapted to transmitthe lifting force from the lower section to the upper section and causethe door to swing laterally as said means is engaged by the lowersection. 23. A door comprising a pair of vertically and laterallymovable door sections, pivoted means carried by one section and adaptedto be engaged by the other section whereby the upper section will bepicked up by the lower section as the lower section is raised, saidpivoted means being movable through an angle of approximately 180 duringthe door opening movement.

24. A door comprising a pair of vertically and laterally movable doorsections, means pivotally carried by one section and adapted to beengaged by the other section whereby the upper section will be picked upby the lower section as the lower section is raised, and a compressionspring connected to said means, said pivoted means being movable throughan angle of approximately 180 during the door opening movement andstoring up energy in said spring during said 180 movement.

25. A door comprising a pair or vertically and laterally movable doorsections, a casing including a header, a device carried by one sectionand adapted to be engaged by the other section whereby the upper sectionwill be picked up by the lower section as the lower section is raised,and a member pivoted above the upper section andcoacting with saiddevice to lock the door against the header.

26. A door comprising a pair of vertically and laterally movable doorsections, a casing including a header, a device carried by one sectionand adapted to be engaged by the other section whereby the upper sectionwill be picked up by the lower section as the lower section is raised, amember pivoted above the upper section and coaoting with said device tolock the door against the header, and a spring engaging said device andadapted to resist the release of said device from looking position.

27. A door comprising a pair of vertically and laterally movable doorsections, a casing including a header, a device carried by one sectionand adapted to be engaged by the other section whereby the upper sectionwill be picked up by the lower section as the lower section is raised, amember pivoted above the upper section and coacting with said device tolock the door against the header, and a spring engaging said device andadapted to resist the release of said device from looking position, saidspring also functioning to cause the door to swing away from the headerwhen the de vice is engaged by the lower section.

28. A door comprising a door casing, a plurality of sections movablevertically and laterally toopen position, locking means for holding thedoor in closed position and comprising a latch membermounted above the 1door and on the door casing and a member pivoted to the top of the upperdoor section and having an arm disposed below and within the latchmember when the door is closed, said member having a cam surfaceconstructed and arranged to swing the pivoted member through an angle ofapproximately 180 when the door is opened and means on another doorsection engageable with said cam surface to release the locking meansand swing said pivoted member.

29. A door comprising a plurality of sections movable vertically andlaterally to open position, locking means for holding the door in closedposition and comprising a keeper and a member pivoted to the top of theupper door and having an arm adapted to coact with the keeper to lockthe door in closed position, a spring connected to said pivoted memberand arranged to resist movement of the member to unlock the door, a camconnected to said pivoted member, and means on another door sectionadapted to engage said cam and swing the arm to release the door, saidcam being so constructed and arranged that the door section and camengaging member carried thereby can move downwardly on the upper sectionan appreciable distance before releasing the pivoted member andpermitting the member to swing under the action of the spring.

30. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical andlateral movement to open position, means including a toggle joint forswinging said upper section to closed position, and actuating means forsaid joint.

31. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical andlateral movement to open position and means including a toggle joint forswinging said upper section to closed position, said joint comprising amember pivoted on said upper section and means pivoted on a fixedsupport and adapted to coact with said member.

32. Door structure comprising a door casing, a door movable verticallyand laterally away from said casing, means including a toggle joint formoving said door to closed posltion against said casing, and actuatingmeans for said joint.

33. Door structure comprising a door casing, a door movable verticallyand laterally away from said casing and means including a toggle jointfor moving said door to closed position against said casing, said jointbeing formed by a member pivoted to the door and means pivoted on afixed support and coacting therewith.

34. A door comprising upper and lower sections arranged for vertical andlateral movement to open position and means including a toggle joint forswinging said upper section to closed position, said joint comprising amember pivoted on said upper section and means pivoted on a fixedsupport and adapted to coact with said member and resilient actuatingmeans for said pivoted member.

35. Door structure comprising a door casing, a door movable verticallyand laterally away from said casing, means including a tog le joint formoving said door to closed position against said casing, said jointbeing ormed by a member pivoted to the door and means pivoted on a fixedsupport and coacting therewith, and actuating means for said pivotedmember.

36. A door movable vertically and laterally to open position andmechanism including a toggle joint for assisting in moving said door toclosed position and power actuating means for said mechanism, said meansbeing operated upon during the opening movement of the door to store uppower for use in actuating said closure mechanism during the closingmovement of the door.

37. A door movable vertically and laterally to open position andmechanism including a toggle joint for assisting in moving said door toclosed position and power actuating means for said mechanism, said meansbeing operated upon during the opening movement of the door to store uppower for use in actuating said closure mechanism during the closingmovement of the door, said joint comprising a member pivoted on a fixedsupport and a member pivoted to said door.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of October,1926.

CHARLES C. TOMKINSON.

